Month: November 2018

TFI Friday celebrates St. Andrews Night at Mayfield. We will be tasting an unusual Irn-Bru or whisky or wine. There will be a fantastic cheese paired with due care and attention. Last weeks from Switzerland had me yodelling for most of the week. It was also a belter of a wine! This week the bar opens at 5.33. Car parking will be at a premium but if you send me a £10 note I can fix it! Appropriate St. Andrews night nibbles will be shared so please bring your own donation. Listen out for the appropriate musical donation from a Hulltoon Hoosewife!

RUGBY. We travel to Glesga to play GHA with a 2pm KO. Please check the website before travel as the weather might claim the points due to incessant rain in the west. The Titans don’t have a game but Morgan host Arbroath another 2pm KO.

The Club Vision evening is on at Mayfield in the glasshouse on Monday 3rd Dec at 7pm and all are invited to be there. Come and be part of the Clubs Vision for the future. If you need a bribe to come we might have some tea or coffee. Irresistible I know!

The second Home Nations Rugby Survey is now live. In collaboration with the other three Home Unions, Scottish Rugby invites players, officials, coaches, volunteers and supporters to take part.

The survey aims to find out what motivates players and volunteers to participate in the game, what their experiences are, and how we can continue to provide the best offering within clubs, schools, colleges and universities. The same survey has been distributed to Clubs and Schools around the United Kingdom and Ireland, by the RFU, Welsh Rugby Union and Irish Rugby. The responses to the survey will help paint a picture how Rugby is perceived by those closest to the game and help identify where there may be room for improvement in how the game is played, managed and governed in the Home Nations.

Please note that this survey is an annual survey that is being carried out across all of the four Home Unions during November and December 2018. It is in no way connected to the ongoing Player Payment and Domestic League Structure consultation processes with Clubs that is being overseen by the Scottish Rugby Council’s Standing Committee on Governance (independently chaired by Gavin MacColl QC).

With another changed team containing yet more débutantes, Dundee were more likely to rely on hope than expectation as Marr kicked off. The ball did not travel 10 metres, resulting in a scrum at the centre and that first scrum signalled a difficulty for Dundee throughout the match as they were pushed back by the visitors’ pack. Dundee were penalised, giving Marr possession and leading to a kick through, chased by winger Dalgleish for the touch down. Colin Sturgeon added the conversion and Marr were ahead 0-7 after only 5 minutes.

Dundee responded with a good spell of possession and a penalty chance was offered.:Fraser’s kick flew just wide of the left-hand post however. Dundee still managed to retain position in the Marr half but paid for insecure handling and penalty offences, allowing Marr to reach a position 10 metres from the Dundee line. When Dundee were penalised five metres from the line, Marr opted for the scrum. Dundee were penalised again and this time Marr kicked for touch. Scrambled, close-quarter possession enabled Colin Sturgeon to cross for a touch-down and he converted the try to take Marr to 0-14 with 24 minutes played.

Dundee hit back well and were rewarded with another penalty chance, but this time, Fraser’s kick sailed just outside the right-hand post. Dundee continued to try hard, but without much penetration, and, when possession was lost, A good inter-passing, featuring right-winger, Scott Bickerstaff, ended with him scoring a try, again converted by Colin Sturgeon, to take Marr into the interval 0-21 ahead.

Half-time: Dundee HSFP 0 Marr 21

Dundee were looking good, up to a point, but lacked real penetration. Had the score been restricted to two tries, there was a feeling that, with slight wind advantage in the second half, Dundee might take something out of the game, but the third Marr try rather put paid to that hope.

The second half remained fairly even and mostly in mid-field, until big break by Scott Bickerstaff took play into the Dundee 22. Dundee were penalised, but Marr lost the ball over the Dundee line. It only postponed the score for a few moments however, because Marr pushed Dundee off their 5-metre put in, for a try credited to No 8 Grant. Again, Sturgeon converted and the bonus point was Marr’s at 0-28.

For long periods, Dundee were giving as good as they got, but were being thwarted by indifferent handling. It took a Marr break to end the stalemate and their full-back managed to squeeze in at the left-hand corner for a try again converted by the reliable Sturgeon.

Further Dundee pressure ensued but another lost ball ended their challenge in the contest.

Full time: Dundee HSFP 0 Marr 35

A closer second half resulting from an improved Dundee performance, all the more creditable for the number of changes in the team. With greater accuracy, a closer result may well have been possible.

Rugby. Aberdeen have the Dallas Allardice Trophy on loan. Dundee did have it back to just one point the difference and the score flatters Aberdeen a wee bit! Currie were too hot for the Titans. This week Marr are the visitors for the firsts and the Titans host Stew Mel 2’nds. Dundee Morgan have the Dundee Uni Medics in the Cup. Both games at Mayfield KO at 2pm.

The Scotland v South Africa game is on the TV in the Clubhouse on Sat with a 5.20 pm ko. It’s a full lunch club so it will be busy! Thank goodness we have a multi screen digby brown surround sound belter of a system for your enjoyment. If it matter to you…………

Hope to see you Friday and Sat but whatever you do please have a great weekend.

With Scotland’s game against Fiji causing a twelve noon kick–off, the fixture could not be accommodated at Mayfield so Forfar Road played host on a beautiful Autumn day.

Playing for precious match points and the Dallas Allardice Trophy, Dundee chose to play up the slope and into a stiff breeze.

Dundee’s prep for this one had been challenging to say the least, with four injury call offs on Thursday and a further two players off to Murrayfield. So Morgan’s hooker Taylor Smith made his first appearance for the Crown and didn’t look out of place.

Aberdeen lined up with three ex High players in the squad, Greg Ryan and Jollands in their back row and Emu aka Robin Cessford on the bench.

As expected then Aberdeen had the bulk of possession and went 7-0 up early doors. Dundee’s effort and endeavor was commendable and things got a wee bit easier when Aberdeen’s hooker got 10 in the sin bin.

However, both teams’ accuracy was not the best, with the home side taking the knock on contest with at least 4 in the opening half.

It was now Dundee’s fate to go down to 14 men with skipper McKay off for ten after a deliberate knock on. Then came Aberdeen’s second through a penalty try conceded at a ten metre scrum. The half came to a close with winger Ruaridh Hood off with an ankle knock, and the talk in the home support crowd was that they had done well to keep it to 2 scores against the elements.

Dundee seemed to get the message that kicking for position was the best option and it was the visitors who were trying to play from their try line. Then some messy stuff from both teams ended with a converted try for Dundee through Ross Aitken.

14-7 and looking better with the pace of Dundee’s play going up a notch and at last some phases of play in the opposition’s red zone. Dundee goaled two penalties in quick succession and it looked game on at 14-13. Aberdeen seemed to be struggling to get out of their twenty two and the feeling was if Dundee kept up the simple style of kicking deep then playing rugby all would be well.

Dundee though reverted to running the ball from anywhere and everywhere with poor ball retention. When Aberdeen were handed the ball in midfield they ran directly and with purpose and this with the home team’s tackling taking a back seat meant 3 scores, all run in from 30+ metres. So from 14-13 down High found themselves bewildered and 33-13 down as fulltime approached.

Aberdeen got 5 points and a trophy and scooted back up to the Granite City tout de suite.

For Dundee to have taken anything from this game they needed to stick to the pragmatic position/possession style, keep ball and up the intensity in the tackle.

Let’s hope Coach Sangster has a less fraught week coming up and he gets some players back healthy and on it.

C’mon Scotland! That’s the call to arms as the Tartan army descend on Mayfield on Sat to watch oor lads compete against Fiji. The multi screen surround sound experience will blow your heid off…. or a couple of pints of thon Italian lager will!

Bar open from 2pm and the match KO is 2.30pm.

Singing of the Fiji national anthem entirely optional. Support your Clubhouse and enjoy the company of your chums. C’mon Scotland.

Rugby. Kelso last week, we went we saw we didn’t conquer but this week we have a chance to put things right when we play against Aberdeen Grammar. The game will be played at Morgan RFC ground at Alloway Place and the early KO is 12 o’clock midday. The points are important but we also compete for the Dallas Allardice Trophy again. Dundee are the current holders. The Titans game v Currie Chieftains 2’s is also at Morgan and similarly the KO is at the same time (12 midday) on a different pitch! Dundee High Rugby famed lunch Club is also at Morgan this week and unusually the lunch is post the match so the Scorecast should be won by everybody! Don’t worry we will think of something!

Mid term elections causing a bit of a Stormy this week. What will it mean to US? Answers on a £10 note to King St. See what I did there? (ED not really!)

Mayfield Rugby Club House will be open after the game and you will be able to watch Scotland v Fiji on the multi screened dynamic sound system. The International KO is 2.30pm. It’s a sell out at Murrayfield so come along to the Club and watch it there.

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Dundee High School Former Pupils Rugby Football Club Limited are a limited company, trading as Dundee High Rugby.
Registered in Scotland. Company No. 578031. Registered Office: Mayfield Clubhouse, 193 Arbroath Road, Dundee DD4 7HS